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Defense/Military

Leaked Audio Allegedly Reveals PLA Interferences With Taiwan’s Elections

Taiwanese national security authorities said that several audio recordings recently circulated online allegedly reveal admissions by officials of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) regarding interference in Taiwan’s elections.

The recordings reportedly document discussions in 2018 between a PLA Strategic Support Force official surnamed Ding and Qi Zhongxiang, head of Beijing Womin High-Tech Co., Ltd.

According to the recordings, the PLA allocated approximately 20 million yuan (US$3 million) to its affiliated 56th Research Institute—publicly known as the Jiangnan Institute of Computing Technology—to purchase a “public opinion sentiment analysis system” from Womin. The system was allegedly intended to analyze, predict, and manipulate public opinion in Taiwan, with a particular focus on the 2018 Kaohsiung mayoral election.

In the first recording, Ding is heard saying that an initial 5 million yuan budget would be used to interfere in Taiwan’s 2018 local elections. If the operation proved successful, an additional 15 million yuan would be invested ahead of Taiwan’s 2020 presidential election to support more extensive election forecasting and influence efforts.

In the second recording, Ding emphasizes the importance of technological tools for controlling public opinion and describes the Kaohsiung mayoral race as strategically critical. He claims to have accurately predicted the election outcome, saying that while others believed Han Kuo-yu would lose, he believed Han would win—an assessment he said later proved correct.

In the third recording, Qi claims that his company had already monitored and controlled six million Facebook accounts in Taiwan, with plans to expand that number to ten million. Taiwan’s security agencies assess that these accounts were used to spread disinformation, inflame social divisions, and interfere with voting behavior, actions described by those involved as “contributing to national reunification.”

Source: Up Media, December 27, 2025
https://www.upmedia.mg/tw/investigation/political/248238

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Does China Have Only Five Full Generals Left?

China’s military held a promotion ceremony on December 22, elevating Eastern Theater Command Commander Yang Zhibin and Central Theater Command Commander Han Shengyan to the rank of full general (上将). However, observers noted that many senior full generals who had previously been active in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were absent from the event, fueling speculation about internal turmoil within the military leadership.

According to state media, only four full generals — Zhang Youxia, Zhang Shengmin, Liu Zhenli, and Dong Jun — attended the ceremony, far fewer than at comparable events in past years. By contrast, a similar promotion ceremony one year earlier reportedly drew 20 full generals. This sharp drop suggests that as many as 16 generals, or roughly 80 percent of the PLA’s full generals, were absent, raising questions about whether they have been removed, sidelined, or are undergoing disciplinary investigations.

Further speculation intensified after two separate sources, on December 22 and December 25, reported that Dong Jun may also have fallen. According to these reports, he was removed from his post as Minister of National Defense and could face disciplinary investigation — a common mechanism in China for bringing down high-ranking officials. If confirmed, Dong could also lose his rank of full general. Sources:
1. Epoch Times, December 23, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/12/23/n14660764.htm
2. Epoch Times, December 26, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/12/26/n14662443.htm

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Chinese Buyers Leads Foreign Land Acquisitions in Japan’s Security-Sensitive Areas

The Japanese government has released data revealing that approximately 3 percent of land and buildings acquired in nationally significant security zones during the 2024 fiscal year were purchased by foreign individuals or entities, with mainland Chinese buyers accounting for nearly half of these foreign acquisitions. According to NHK reporting, this information comes as Japan implements stricter controls over strategically important properties near military and critical infrastructure sites.

Japanese law now regulates land purchases in areas deemed crucial for national security. The government has designated zones surrounding Self-Defense Force facilities, nuclear power plants, and other vital installations as either “areas of concern” or “areas of special concern” under this legal framework. The recent data covers all land and building transactions within these protected zones throughout the 2024 fiscal year.

Of the 113,827 newly acquired properties identified within these security-sensitive areas, 3,498 transactions involved foreign buyers, representing 3.1 percent of the total. Mainland Chinese individuals and corporations led with 1,674 acquisitions, followed by Taiwan with 414 purchases and South Korea with 378 transactions.

Under current legislation, the government possesses authority to issue orders or advisories if land use within these zones interferes with the functioning of important facilities. Authorities can demand cessation of specific land activities deemed problematic. However, the government confirmed that no cases warranting such intervention were identified during this statistical survey period, suggesting all foreign acquisitions complied with existing regulations and posed no immediate concerns to national security operations.

Source: NHK, December 16, 2025
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/zh/news/20251216_ML04/

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Taiwan Troops Will Act Without Waiting for Central Orders If China Launches a Sudden Attack

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said that if China announces a complex military operation around the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan will raise its alert level, immediately conduct combat-readiness drills, and take steps to prevent the situation from escalating from a military exercise into actual conflict.

The ministry added that in the event of a sudden attack, Taiwan’s military units would act without waiting for centralized orders, relying on a decentralized command structure to carry out combat operations swiftly and effectively.

The remarks were made as the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign and National Defense Committee held a briefing on potential conflict hotspots in and around the Taiwan Strait. In a written report, the Defense Ministry emphasized that, in response to China’s expanding military capabilities, Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific countries are strengthening multilateral cooperation and defense preparedness. Taiwan is also closely monitoring China’s military activities and potential future moves to ensure early warning and rapid response.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), December 17, 2025
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/202512150263.aspx

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CCP Air Force Under Open-Ended Retrospective Investigation — Analysts Say It Could Trigger Major Upheaval

Chinese military authorities have publicly announced an open-ended investigation into procurement corruption within the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), a rare and unusual move. Analysts say the announcement may confirm long-circulating rumors of serious problems at the top levels of the Air Force and could lead to significant leadership turmoil.

On December 15, the PLA’s procurement system issued a notice calling for reports and evidence of irregularities in Air Force procurement processes, including bidding, contract execution, supplier penalties, and related activities. Individuals involved in procurement — including suppliers, reviewers, and other participants — are invited to submit information by mail through June 30, 2026.

Analysts suggest the move indirectly indicates that senior Air Force leaders, including Commander Chang Dingqiu and Political Commissar Guo Puxiao, are already under investigation. As further circumstantial evidence, both officials were recently removed from China’s Baidu Encyclopedia, a development often interpreted as a sign that an official has fallen out of favor. There are also reports that Chang Dingqiu died of a sudden heart attack while under investigation, although these claims remain unverified.

Source: Epoch Times, December 19, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/12/19/n14658544.htm

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China Builds Installations in China–South Korea Joint Waters, Raising Security Concerns

A December 9 report by Beyond Parallel, a Korea-focused website run by the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), revealed photographs of 16 Chinese installations constructed within the China–South Korea Interim Measures Zone in the Yellow Sea. Under the 2001 China–South Korea Fisheries Agreement, the overlapping exclusive economic zones in the Yellow Sea are designated as jointly managed waters. The report notes that the construction of permanent facilities in this area violates the agreement.

According to the report, China has repeatedly refused South Korea’s requests to remove the installations and has unilaterally declared no-navigation zones around them. Since 2020, South Korean vessels have attempted to monitor Chinese activities 135 times, with 27 of those attempts intercepted by Chinese coast guard ships. Analysts also note that China has deployed 13 multifunctional buoys capable of collecting oceanographic data but potentially usable for underwater surveillance, including monitoring submarine activity—underscoring their dual civilian-military purpose.

Experts argue that these deployments reflect China’s broader “gray-zone” strategy, in which ostensibly civilian facilities are used to advance military objectives and strengthen maritime control. The Yellow Sea is considered strategically vital for Chinese naval operations moving south from bases in Shandong Province and the Bohai Gulf. The report urges the United States and South Korea to consider publicizing the coordinates of the installations. Meanwhile, South Korean media have called for reciprocal measures, citing similar responses by Vietnam, and South Korea has already begun countermeasures, including deploying its own floating platform in disputed waters—officially for environmental research—to monitor Chinese activities.

Source: Epoch Times, December 14, 2025
https://hk.epochtimes.com/news/2025-12-14/16128304

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Huanqiu Times: Defending Peace in a Language the Enemy Understands

Huanqiu Times published an article justifying China’s recent military actions toward Japan. On the night of December 9, a joint China–Russia bomber patrol was conducted over international airspace east of the Kuril Islands, approximately 700 kilometers from Tokyo. Commentators noted that the patrol placed Tokyo within the potential strike range of the bombers, which are capable of carrying long-range cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons.

Separately, China stated that its Liaoning aircraft carrier group, operating east of the Miyako Strait in accordance with previously announced schedules, was repeatedly approached and harassed at close range by Japanese F-15 fighter jets. According to China, the Japanese aircraft deliberately attempted to interfere with flight paths and communications, prompting Chinese aircraft to activate fire-control radar in response.

Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te publicly condemned China’s actions as inappropriate.

The article criticized Lai Ching-te and Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi, describing them as figures promoting division and militarism. It concludes by stating that China is issuing a calm, firm, and reasoned warning in terms its adversaries understand: China’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity are inviolable and will not be compromised.

Source: Huanqiu Times, December 11, 2025
https://taiwan.huanqiu.com/article/4PV6wsMoV9N

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Japan and Philippines Accuse China of Dangerous Military Actions, Heightening Regional Security Tensions

Japan and the Philippines have recently accused the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and China of “dangerous military conduct,” underscoring sharply rising security tensions in the region. Japan reported that Chinese warplanes from the carrier Liaoning locked their fire-control radar on Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F‑15 fighters twice near Okinawa — an act Tokyo described as reckless and hazardous to international air safety. Meanwhile, the Philippines alleges that Chinese forces fired warning flares at one of its patrol aircraft over a disputed area of the South China Sea.

The incidents occurred just weeks after Japan’s new prime minister suggested the possibility of collective self-defense in response to a crisis in Taiwan, a stance that has already drawn a sharp reaction from Beijing. Both Tokyo and Manila have formally protested the latest actions, demanding that China take measures to prevent such behavior from recurring.

Source: VOA, December 9, 2025
https://www.voachinese.com/a/japan-and-the-philippines-accuse-china-of-dangerous-military-conduct-escalating-security-pressure-on-us-allies-20251208/8091444.html

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